@Yuen ********

We have little choice, we just have to navigate our own lives around them. 😁

@Yuen ********

British public servants often have the attitude that they are doing you a favour. The fact that they are not being paid by you directly seems to make British people think that the service is free and that we should be grateful. The fact that we’ve paid huge amounts of tax over many years seems to not be a consideration. The result is often that they take a passive aggressive approach to the people they are paid to serve, suggesting that you’re wasting their time. This attitude is normally more common in the administrative staff than in the profession people. A good example is the National Health Service - when you finally get to see a doctor or some other clinical staff, they will treat you with respect and professionalism. The problem is that you will have to go through a number of administrative people who will make you feel like a freeloader.

All cultures have their good points as well as their pathologies and this is just part of the joy of being British. 😂

@Geraldine *************

I haven’t been to Chiang Mai since 1992, maybe I should spend a few weeks up there. It’s probably changed a little 😊

@Todd ********

The queue reminded me of the Tutankhamen exhibition at the British Museum in 1972. I queued with my mum for four hour in the midsummer sun. At that age I could deal with it.

@Kool ******

Penang looks like a good option. I want to go there anyway. 😁🙏

@Jim ******

It’s normal government stuff I guess. Add in a language barrier and you’ve got the perfect storm. I did some immigration stuff for a Ukrainian teenager in the U.K. same stuff. £130 for an application and then it’s refused because I ticked the box that says she’s a refugee. I was expected to know that somebody fleeing a war in their home town is only a refugee if they’re not Ukrainian. 🤷‍♂️

@Jamie *****

I’ve been to the local immigration office and there is nobody to answer a question, just a 3-4 hour queue. I was expecting that but I don’t really want to queue that long to get an answer that they don’t issue that kind of visa at that location.

@Yuen ********

That’s a good idea to talk to my embassy. They will give me a hard time because they’re British 😂 But it’s certainly worth a try. 🙏

@Geraldine *************

Do you remember which office you went to? I went to the big government building in Lak Si, they sent me to IT Square and they sent me back to Lak Si. 😂

@Jim ******

The ‘retirement visa’ is an extension of the Non-O visa. The Non-O visa is a 90 day visa that allows you to open a bank account. There are few requirement for the 90 Day visa. Most of the requirements are for the extension. I have all of those things. Money, Insurance, criminal record check, condo contract etc.

All of the agents I’ve contacted want a lot of money and tell me that I don’t need this or that document because they will sort it out. It seems that that’s what they charge for because otherwise the procedure is quite simple and they can’t make a living out of guiding people through that.